Pictures of the day: 20 June 2012

This image captured by the newly launched Suomi satellite shows the northern hemisphere of the Earth. The satellite circled the Earth 15 times to capture the visual data used for the picture. Although the bright swirl of Arctic ice dominates the top of the globe, looking a bit farther south, and toward the left side of the frame, you can see the green of Britain peeking between clouds. But it's the vast, dry reaches of Asia, Saudi Arabia and the Sahara that dominate the rest of the image.Picture: NASA/GSFC/Suomi NPP / AFP/Getty